The world today can be a dangerous place, especially for women. Every day we see stories on the news of women being accosted, threatened, assaulted and even murdered in America.

But many courageous women have decided to protect themselves and their families by arming themselves with a concealed carry for self-defense. These women learned about self-defense and gun safety during the training they received when applying for the permit.

Concealed handguns deter crime, according to the analysis of FBI crime data. Criminals are less likely to attack someone they believe to be armed. Detroit Police Chief Larry Craig agrees, stating that permitted concealed weapons are “a deterrent” to potential criminals.

Below, you will find three stories of heroines who chose to protect themselves and their families by using concealed carry to survive terrifying ordeals of physical threats, attempted abduction and murder and carjacking.

HER FAMILY WAS THREATENED IN A PARKING GARAGE

A story posted on the website forum The Well Armed Woman tells the tale of a seemingly ordinary day when a woman went on an outing with her mother. As they were in the parking garage putting bags in the woman’s truck, a 200-pound man approached their vehicle and began yelling obscenities at the women and threatening them.

At first, the woman decided to ignore the man, thinking he was mentally unstable and would leave on his own, and asked her mother to walk ahead and exit the garage.

However, instead of losing interest and leaving, the man began closing in on the woman as she stood near her car. She realized she wouldn’t have the option to call for help before the man reached her and that’s when she knew she was in trouble and would need to use her full-sized Springfield Armory XD .40–what she considered the best self-defense caliber–to show the hostile aggressor that she was prepared to defend herself and her family.

After doing a quick scan of the garage for safety, she reached into her purse and showed the approaching man her firearm still in its holster and warned him loudly to leave her alone. At first, the man was stunned and angry, but after realizing he didn’t have the power to attack the woman, he got into his car and left the scene.

Thanks to concealed carry for women, the potential victim and her mom escaped a dangerous situation, without firing a shot.

A woman was walking to work early one morning when a man stopped her in the middle of the deserted street and pulled a knife, demanding she come with him immediately.

Terrified and overwhelmed at the prospect of being abducted by a stranger, she instinctively pulled her concealed carry weapon from the holster and told the man she wasn’t going anywhere.

The man was so intimidated by her actions that he wet himself before running away. The woman reached her office safely, but she never shared her story.

It would be a great tale if the story ended there but, unfortunately, there is a tragic twist. A few months later, the woman was watching the nightly news and saw the man again. The former convict had been arrested for the kidnap, rape and murder of another young woman he had abducted on her way to work early in the morning a few weeks after her attack.

Without using her concealed carry to protect herself, the woman may have been another victim of this convicted killer, but she was able to defend herself and escape.

A decade later, the woman founded a local chapter of a national women’s shooting organization, became a firearms instructor and participates in competitive shooting.

CARJACKED AND KIDNAPPED: ONE WOMAN’S STORY OF CONCEALED CARRY

Illinois became the last state to enact the conceal carry legislation and, fortunately for the victim in this story, it did so.

A petite young woman in Illinois was enjoying a typical day at the mall and left to get into her car in the well-lit parking lot. While she was getting her keys out, a large, aggressive man with a knife approached her and forced himself into her car with her.

The man slashed her arm with his knife. She was scared and overwhelmed–even more so when the man demanded that she begin driving him toward a rural destination.

However, the woman was not powerless. In fact, despite being short, she had the best handgun for small hands located in her purse. She just needed to get access to it.

She waited until the man was distracted and then reached down and grabbed her weapon and pointed it at her abductor. The man was so surprised that he immediately jumped out of the car and ran off.

The woman was treated at the hospital for minor injuries as a result of the initial knife wound.

Because she was prepared and trained with her concealed carry, she escaped a terrifying ordeal.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Women who carry a concealed handgun are more aware of their surroundings, self-confident, empowered and have the means to defend themselves in life-threatening situations.

Contact your local range if you have never handled a gun or don’t feel confident using a firearm. Ranges offer beginner classes which are a great first step for women looking to carry a concealed firearm.